Chase Budinger was expected to start and be a key part of the Minnesota attack — he can shoot the three and is very athletic so he can finish in transition. He’s a great fit with their Kevin Love/Ricky Rubio attack.

However, for the second straight year Budinger has been sidelined by a knee injury — he had his meniscus removed after an injury during pre-camp workouts back in October.

Budinger may not replace Corey Brewer as a starter (certainly not at first) but he brings more depth and athleticism to a Minnesota team that has played better than their record (they have a 12-13 record but the point differential of a 15-10 team). This is a team to watch making a run as the calendar turns to 2014.